Kevin Parker Owns his Growth on 'The Slow Rush'
by Lily Hartenstein
Kevin Parker, the man behind the wildly popular project that is Tame Impala, is not the same person he was when he started making music. In The Slow Rush, he owns his current identity and exemplifies all he has learned throughout his rise to stardom. The album seeks to impress no one and is a masterpiece in its own right.
As Tame Impala has developed, they’ve gone from the psychedelic funk of their early days to a unique type of electronic indie with a psychedelic pop influence. The way Parker fuses and layers sounds in such a distinct way has earned the Australian band much acclaim, and their ability to transcend specific genres has only bolstered their popularity in various scenes. The Slow Rush is the culmination of their expansion beyond genre, an entrancing work that embodies the sense of growing up and letting go.
Looking at the trajectory of how Tame Impala’s sound has developed over the years, and given that Kevin Parker spent the time following the Currents release and tour DJing in Australia, a more electronic dance style was expected from The Slow Rush. The singles that have been released over the last few months, however, seemed to have gotten lost in Parker’s growth from psychedelic garage rock to electronic-based pop. ‘Borderline’ and ‘It Might be Time’, both released in 2019, lacked a sense of identity. ‘Posthumous Forgiveness’ and ‘Lost in Yesterday’ had stronger singular identities and appeared to be a step in the right direction. Analyzing the singles makes little sense, however, once the complete album drops. The singles as standalone entities might not have made much sense, but the comprehensive body that is The Slow Rush works to emphasize and expand upon each song. Although individual songs might seem underwhelming compared to the adrenaline-rush highs listeners have come to expect from former albums, together they create an entrancing story that is just as alluring as Currents.
The Slow Rush is aptly named. It gently draws you in and allows you to get lost in the various substrates of sound. Instead of the type of psychedelic music that feels like a rollercoaster of thought and seeks to open your mind, this is a new type of psychedelic sound that feels simpler. It seeks to soothe and facilitate quiet reflection. In a constantly oversaturated world, Parker has created music to help those who overthink finally calm down. Rather than chasing the highs of a fast life, this album goes for the slow rush.
Tame Impala is an ever-developing project. As Parker has reached a level of superstardom in the music industry, he has been able to collaborate with a spectrum of talented artists, each with their own skill and style. Being a musical genius in his own right, as well as a deeply introspective person and artist, he has taken those experiences and given each of them weight and influence in his work. The Slow Rush is a culmination of all that Parker has learned on his journey from a law student with various projects in the Perth music scene to the rockstar that demanded a bigger confetti budget record for headlining Coachella. Now that Parker has earned experience in an array of genres, working with artists like Travis Scott and Lady Gaga, Tame Impala is no longer a psychedelic project. It is unreservedly a mode of expression for Parker, something he is finally owning. As with all great artists, we as an audience are simply tasked with sitting back and enjoying.